What He's Really Thinking After 1, 5, and 10 Years of Marriage

That's right, we got real men to spill their actual feelings about their dearly beloveds. Turns out they're pretty excited about being tied to someone in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer – well, you know the rest.

1 Year

1 Year

"The first year of marriage is truly a great one. That feeling of new love permeates all you do with your spouse. Even things you've done together before feel special because you know it's now part of a mutual life. This feeling of growth as one entity is both amazing and unique to this time.

1 Year

1 Year

"The hard parts: Being a single guy is different from being a married guy, and patterns you know from before need to change. Also, the level of disclosure changes, and discussing everything from finances to hopes for the future becomes 'we' versus 'I.'

The great parts: Having a partner to discuss [the aforementioned] 'we' versus 'I,' planning for the future, knowing that someone is always there for you, seeing someone who supports you when you get home (especially after a really bad day), and having someone to take care of. One of my favorite parts of the first year of marriage was cooking for her all the time, and she would pretend it was great. (Most of the times it was, but she indulged my missteps.)

I love being married and think the world of her. But it's still scary, especially as I see so many friends and ex’s getting divorced. I don't know if or when being married gets easy, but it's exciting to be on this journey with somebody else." – Brendan R., 34